Grey ’s Anatomy May Be Giving You the Wrong Ideas About Medicine, Study Says

New research has diagnosed a problem with television medical dramas. A study published Monday in the journal Trauma Surgery & Acute Care says that medical dramas — Grey’s Anatomy, specifically — “may cultivate false expectations among patients and their families” when it comes to the realities of medical care, treatment and recovery. That conclusion isn’t altogether unexpected, given that Grey’s Anatomy is notorious for its dramatic cases. Over the show’s 14-and-counting seasons, patients have accidentally swallowed bombs, been skewered by trees and poles, become encased in hardening cement and much more. Nonetheless, study author Dr. Jordan Weinberg, trauma medical director at St. Joseph’s Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, Az., says it’s important for both patients and physicians to be aware of the subconscious effect of medical shows. “Patient satisfaction is a big deal these days. It’s become a measure of quality,” Weinberg says. “If there’s a real gap between [expectation and reality], it makes it a relatively poor experience for the patient, and it transfers to a poor experience for the nurses and doctors trying to take care of this patient who feels very frustrated.” For the study, two trauma doctors and a nurse practitioner watched all 269 episodes from Grey’s Anatomy‘s first 12 seasons. They looked specifically at the 290 trauma patients who visit Se...
Source: TIME: Health - Category: Consumer Health News Authors: Tags: Uncategorized healthytime onetime Research Source Type: news